A Glitch
by PrincessAmerica101
Summary: Kaiba tries to fix a glitch that's been happening with the Dark Magician for the last five months. (Post-Series/Pre-DSOD)
1. Chapter 1

[Initiating KaibaCorp Solid Vision System]

[Username and Password Accepted]

[Iris Scan Accepted]

[Accessing File: Dark Magician]

[Begin Hologram Sequence]

Seto Kaiba was annoyed.

It had been months—five months, to be exact—since the end of the so-called Ceremonial Duel between Yuugi and—he couldn't even believe that he was thinking the word to _himself_ —the Pharaoh.

Five months since Yuugi had taken the title King of Games, five months since he'd dueled using it—at least until yesterday against Katsuya, and his systems had come online with his Duel Disc. And Kaiba, who had gotten only a glimpse of it as he'd passed to head home from where they dueled in the front of Domino High, saw a little _error_ in his Dark Magician's projection.

He'd thought he'd fixed that _months_ ago.

For what must have been the millionth time since the Pharaoh's departure, Seto Kaiba frowned while he ran a manual scan of the Dark Magician's hologram. Purple hair, green eyes, grey-pale skin. That was the way that his card was painted, that was the way that he'd show up in the hologram system. Seto Kaiba had programmed each and every single individual Duel Monster to be that way, there was no reason whatsoever that _this_ one would elude him.

As he walked down the halls of his building, into the arena, he plugged is laptop into the main computer while he took stage. "Computer, summon Dark Magician!"

[Summon: Dark Magician, in Attack Mode]

And Seto made a little noise in his throat when he saw the error again, even though his laptop showed Dark Magician to be working just fine.

 _Em Hotep, Seto. You seem to be doing well this morning._

Seto Kaiba crossed his arms while he stared down the Dark Magician, eyes narrowed in annoyance. Where he was supposed to have the face of a generic-looking man to match his robes, there was instead the face of Mahaad staring back at him—Mahaad with a _distinctly-looking_ amused expression, as they must have done this a million times by now, every single time that Seto tried to _fix_ this little projection issue.

"You're supposed to be gone."

 _As I have said to you, I exist to protect the Pharaoh, so I come whenever he calls me._ Though his lips didn't move, Mahaad's voice echoed in Kaiba's head. Taking a deep breath, Kaiba pressed his hand into his face, trying to ignore the headache he knew was incoming.

"And as I've said _back_ , he's already _gone_ , Mahaad. So _you_ can go, _too_." At first, he wouldn't even call the Dark Magician by his supposed name—he would have always called him by the name of the card he'd been called from—but they'd been through this so many times that Mahaad came out as naturally as the name of his monster.

Though he tried not to notice how much it pleased the monster to be called by it. _And as I have said to you in turn, he hasn't gone, so I come back._

Seto Kaiba felt as if he were explaining this to a child. "I saw him walk through the door—and I saw you in there, too, you know. And that girl."

 _Kisara? Yes, she is with me. You may call her, if you'd like._

"Don't talk about that. But why do you keep coming back if you're supposed to be in that door?"

 _Because the Pharaoh calls me._

And they were back at square one. Mahaad, seeming to realize this, moved in how his hologram shouldn't, sitting-down in front of Seto Kaiba, his staff resting in his lap while he smiled back at him. _Pre-incarnations are interesting, aren't they? I studied them under my master, and I tried to teach them to my student as well._

"Mahaad, I really don't care."

The Dark Magician didn't seem to be bothered by his statement, only laughing in Seto's head. _The soul can be split into its two most extremes. You saw the Ka and the Ba, but it doesn't have to be so formal, you know. The halves of a person's soul that are innocence and power, they can be torn in two as well._

"And your point is?"

Mahaad smiled at him, resting his cheek on his tanned hand. _The Pharaoh—Atem—he did it to his soul before, splitting it into two parts without knowing. The half that were his memories and his power sealed away, the other half being judges by Ma'at and sent into reincarnation by Orisis. And I'm sure you know the rest._

Seto frowned, crossing his arms, though he sat down in front of Mahaad anyway. "So, what you're trying to tell me is that Yuugi is also him, huh?"

 _Indeed, the second life of the Pharaoh. Or third, I suppose. I'm not quite sure how those Ancient Atlantean Knights work._ The Dark Magician's non-existent tone was light and conversational, and it brought a snort from Kaiba.

"We don't talk about _that_ little incident." And it brought another laugh from Mahaad, while Kaiba took another glance at the computer, and continued to scowl. "That still doesn't make any sense, though. Yuugi didn't play you here, I did."

Mahaad's dark brown eyes sparkled with mischief. _I didn't say Atem was the only Pharaoh that I can be called-to, Seto. Or do you prefer Morning and Evening Star? I always thought you'd be the kind to appreciate that._

Seto stared down the Dark Magician. "So, you're saying if I ever play you, I'm stuck with you for life."

Again, the monster burst into laughter _. I understand that I'm not as pretty as Kisara, Seto, but you don't have to sound so put-out about it!_

"I told you to not talk about that."

Mahaad gave a slight bow of his head as an apology.

"Can Yuugi see you?" Seto asked, frowning. "When he plays you."

 _Of course._

"But nobody is talking about KaibaCorp's enormous holographic issue with a talking Dark Magician, so it must just be us."

Mahaad's lips quirked, his dark eyes burning with intent. _They're not worthy of my soul. They only get a hologram._

Kaiba was silent in return, thoughtful for a while as Mahaad waited patiently, shutting his eyes and seeming to meditate after the sun's rays started creeping across the floor.

"Mahaad." He finally said, prompting the sorcerer to look at him with one eye lazily.

 _Yes, Seto?_

"When I was—" Gods, he didn't even like thinking about that nonsense, but he was talking to a hologram, so he may as well run with it. "—when I was _him_ , we didn't exactly _talk_ much."

Mahaad shrugged. _You were about the same as you were now to me._

"So, a jackass." Seto knew what he was, he just didn't care to change that to anyone but Mokuba.

 _If you wanted to be blunt, yes._

"Then why do you keep coming when I call you?"

Mahaad looked him square in the eyes. _Atem was kind to me when I was his servant. He would risk his own life for a student. He entrusted_ _ **you**_ _to protect Egypt in his death, and I carry out his will. Therefore, I will protect you until you pass on again, because he trusted me to._

So, all of this was loyalty to _him_ again, huh? Seto almost wanted to point out the fact that he was _dead_ again, but he decided against it.

"This isn't Egypt, you don't have to keep coming."

Mahaad smiled. _The greatest Empire on Earth belongs to you, that seems to be Egypt in a new age of the Egyptian Gods._

"Now you're just brown-nosing me." But Seto couldn't help the wide smirk on his lips. He had to give it to the sorcerer, he knew just how to rub Seto's ego the right way.

Mahaad's mischief left his eyes. _Your soul is threatened by dark forces often, Seto. Just because Atem's soul has found peace doesn't mean the world has. You and his incarnation are always going to be threatened. I will always come to aid you when you are._

"Business as usual, then." Seto stood-up. "Can you only come when I summon you, then?"

Mahaad shook his head _. My soul comes to you when you need me. Though, having a modern stone tablet would make it much easier, so I don't have to come from Egypt to do it._

"A card. They're called cards." Seto walked back to the computer. "Then you want me to buy a Dark Magician card for you?"

Mahaad's smile widened—this time, instead of being mischievous, it was quite sincere. _That would be perfect, Seto._

Kaiba turned off his laptop, unplugging it from the system, sending Mahaad's soul back as he was disconnected from the holographic system. Kaiba's phone out, he was already searching for the best prints of Dark Magician, when—

The very, _very_ familiar roar entered his mind.

He chuckled. "Don't worry, Blue Eyes. He'll never replace _you_."

And the dragon—or the woman he didn't have to look to know was standing behind him—was pleased.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Kisara is possessive. She's a dragon, after all.

Also, Mahaad is a little playful after being trapped for 3,000 years.


	2. Chapter 2

Yuugi lay in bed, staring at the card sitting right next to him.

It was irresponsible of him, he knew. This wasn't something that the Pha—that _Atem_ —would do. He would be more mature about this, he would be happy if it were Yuugi who had gone into the afterlife.

He wouldn't be sitting here, pondering turning on his duel disc in the middle of the night so that he could have someone to talk to in the middle of the night, when he was used to being able to reach out into his mind and find someone in there, someone who would listen to him and offer him guidance or comfort or _anything_ when he needed it most...

Even if it was just a hologram, and not able to talk back to him.

Yuugi clutched the cartouche around his neck. _Atem's_ cartouche. It was given to him when his partner had crossed into the afterlife, when he'd known that Yuugi wouldn't have the Puzzle any longer, so he gave Yuugi his Ren instead. A piece of his soul—as long as his name was remembered, then his soul was safe.

And Yuugi would remember him. He would remember him for eternity.

Biting down on his lip, he rolled-away from the card next to his pillow. Dark Magician. That was their favorite card— _his_ favorite card. The eternal servant of the Pharaoh, Isis had said. He'd seen Dark Magician on the wall where the stone tablet showing the battle between Kaiba's ancient self and Atem's ancient self had been. He...he didn't have a _right_ to this card, not now. The Dark Magician was a servant to the Pharaoh, not...

 _Not Yuugi Mutou..._

There was a soft glow from behind him, and Yuugi sat-up, his heart racing. He shouldn't have been hopeful—he _**knew**_ he shouldn't have been, it would have been _**wrong**_ for him to be hopeful—but his head quickly turned anyway, and—

—it was the Dark Magician.

Yuugi stopped, looking down at the card in confusion. The...Dark Magician? Why was it glowing? He knew, vaguely, that the Dark Magician had been someone from Pha—Atem's past, but he should have gone with him to the afterlife. He showed-up for Atem's duel with Yuugi, but that was the only time that Yuugi had ever seen him like that, where he didn't look like the art on his card.

Yuugi paused, before picking-up the Dark Magician, and going to the duel disc on his table. Activating it, he hesitantly loaded his deck, and played Dark Magician in Attack Position.

 _Something troubles you, my King._

Yuugi jumped a mile when he heard a voice in his head again, nearly dropping his duel disc in the process. Blinking a few times, he gazed up at the High Sorcerer staring down at him—just the exact same way that Yuugi remembered him being from the Ceremonial Duel.

"You're...who the Dark Magician is, right?" Yuugi asked, blinking. "What are you doing here...? Aren't you supposed to be in the afterlife with...with Atem?" Did he miss the door? How was he going to get him where he belonged...?

 _Indeed, I am._ The High Sorcerer got down on one knee before him, crossing his staff over his chest while he bowed his head deeply to the King of Games. _I sensed great turmoil inside you, my King. What troubles you so?_

"Your—no!" Yuugi exclaimed, shaking his head vigorously. "You've...you've got the wrong one of us, Mr...Dark Magician, sir. I...I know that I look a lot like him, but I'm not the Pharaoh, he's already gone."

The Dark Magician chuckled softly—a strange sound that echoed inside of Yuugi's head, but still filled him with a strange sense of warmth that reminded him of meeting an old friend again, in a way that he hadn't felt in a long time. Almost unconsciously, he felt his body start to relax, and he hesitated, before sitting down in a chair behind him.

 _The Pharaoh has indeed been set free of the Puzzle, Yuugi Mutou, and I do know who you are._ The Magician's eyes were alight with laughter, and he got back to his feet, taking a few steps before Yuugi. _I've been with you since you played me for the first time against Set's reincarnation—I know very well the difference between you both_.

Yuugi was struck silent with surprise. With him this...whole time? And he knew who he was...? But then, why...?

"Why are you still here?" He asked, frowning. "You...you didn't answer that...Dark Magician."

 _Please, call me Mahaad._ The Dark Magician smiled gently. _Yuugi, haven't you ever wondered why you were the one chosen to hold the Pharaoh's soul, and why you were the one who solved the Millennium Puzzle, and..._ The Dark Magician chuckled. _Why the both of you have the same, natural hairstyle?_

Yuugi blushed a little at the mention of his unique hair, but shook his head. "No, I mean, yes, but I don't know why. I kind of...just thought it was destined for us to be together, but I...don't really know anything beyond that."

Dark Magician—Mahaad—sat on Yuugi's bed. It was such a simple, casual, everyday action that Yuugi couldn't help the strange laughter that bubbled up in his chest. Seeing his favorite card sitting on his bed, having a normal conversation with him in the early hours of the morning...he didn't know why, but there was just something...comforting about it.

 _A person's soul is made of two components. Their Ka, and their Ba_. The Dark Magician's form shimmered, shifting into a man wearing white robes and a white headdress, covered in gold, with a strange, duel disc-like device on his arm. _The Ka is the dark half of a person's soul, the Ba is their light. Whenever evil was committed in the days of Pharaoh Atem, the High Priests would judge their Ka, and if became evil, would seal it in a stone tablet, creating the creatures that you all came to know all duel monsters._

"I know that part..." Yuugi murmured, looking back into his deck. "But...what does that have to do with me?

 _The Ba was the light half of a person's soul. The kindness, love, and humanity inside of them. That half was the half that could not be contained by the Millennium Items, because their shadow magic was too strong._ Mahaad smiled. _When the King split himself, he knew that his light would be what would solve the Puzzle, and that his light would be what brought him his true name. His light—what made him able to wield the gods—was reborn like all souls, judged pure by Ma'at and cast into the afterlife, where he was given form anew._

"Is that where he is now?" Yuugi asked, smiling with relief. "I hope he's doing okay in a new body..."

Mahaad laughed, and though his lips didn't move, he still covered his mouth, as if it were still improper for him to be seen laughing as a High Priest _. I would hope so, but between you and I, I don't think he realizes how strong he really is._

Catching onto what he was getting-at, Yuugi frowned. "Are you...trying to say that...I...?"

Mahaad bowed his head again, his tone softened by affection and loyalty, rather than amusement. _Indeed. You and Atem are one in the same now. His soul has come to join your soul once-more, the same as when I served under you both in Ancient Egypt. How could I leave my Pharaoh, when you're still here for me to protect?_

Yuugi stood-up. "No! I mean...there's no way that's possible! I'm not..." He looked-away. "I'm not good-enough to be him..."

Mahaad stood up as well, approaching him, putting his hand on his shoulder, despite how he couldn't touch him, he could feel the warmth from the magician all the same.

 _Who was able to calm the darkness that lay in Atem's heart, Yuugi? Who was able to make so many see the error of their ways? Who was able to overcome the brainwashing of a Millennium Item on Jounouchi? Who was able to stand up to Dartz on his own? Was it not you, Yuugi? Is it not you who beat him, who found the strength to move into the future? Who was able to bring Atem his true name and save the world?_

Yuugi swallowed. "I...is he really me now?" He touched his own heart, as if he could sense his partner through his chest, and Mahaad bowed again to him, smiling once more with the affection of someone who had met his friend again after a very long time...and indeed, that was the case.

 _Yes. And just as I swore to him, I swear to you the same. I will always be here when you need me, no matter how far away. I am your eternal servant, my King. I will always be by your side._ Mahaad got on his hands and knees, head bowed before his oldest friend.

And maybe it was something inside of Yuugi saying it, or maybe it was the boy himself, or maybe it was both, but he got down to Mahaad's level, gesturing for the High Sorcerer to look him in the eyes.

"No...you'll be my eternal _friend."_

And Mahaad's smile could have put-out the sun.

* * *

 **A/N:**

I was requested to do one from Yuugi's perspective, so here you go.


End file.
